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The Red Flag Pirates
The Red Flag Pirates is the official paramilitary wing of the New-Revolutionary Communist Party. It takes its name from the red flags with which supporters of the group marched through the streets of Ghacrow early days of the movement, when the RFP represented a violent political movement. Nowadays, the RFP does not consider itself a political party, instead an armed support body for the NRCP which grew out of the original RFP. The group currently remains under the control of the NRCP leadership. __TOC__ =History= The Red Flag Pirates Were the basis for the revival of Revolutionary Leftist Action in Darnussia, unofficially formed early in the early months of 2512 in the industrial district of Darnussia's largest city, Ghacrow. During the months of Student Resurgence, then Marxist thinking was slowly being spread amongst the working class once again, the RFP formed itself as followers of the, then student speaker, Robert Henthorn, who would regularly denounce the fascist powers in government from impromptu soapbox platforms of street corners. The growing rivalry between competing philosophic speakers and their followings, along with the hostility of the police led to the banding together of Darnussian veterans to act as bodyguard for Henthorn and his allies, as well as political activists as the movement's activities escalated. Regular street clashes with fascist storm-troopers or opposing radical groups led to the group's infamy among the citizens of Ghacrow, and it was often that the battle songs of 'No Master' and 'Voices of Toil' were heard echoing off factory walls, or chanted by marching parades of supporters. The Drummond Arms Affair In February 2513, a party of nearly 300 RFP activists, some of them equipped with firearms and others with hatchets and even broom handles, stormed the Drummond Arms, a pup in central Ghacrow regularly frequented by senior members of the Darnussian Liberation Army. In the spirit of ending a strong warning signal to the fascist elements within Darnussia, the RFP barricaded the pub, pushing tables up against windows and doors and securing the publican and his family in a bedroom. Upon the sighting of DLA members, the RFP fired from upper windows down into the street, scattering the crows of people who had turned up to watch, and alerting the police to the violent and determined nature of the occupation. Before the law could become fully involved however, DLA supporters returned and attempted to burn down the pub, with some assistance from a local resident who owned the adjoining building. The Pirates were forced to flee from their stronghold as the blaze grew uncontrollably, and two dozen men were arrested at the scene. The ensuing fire destroyed most of the block of houses and shops, though the government pressed no charges against the DLA. The Bicycle Siege March 2514 saw the most daring and renowned event in the RFP's history - the Bicycle Siege. A bicycle factory in Ghacrow, "Dashkapf", was laying off workers to introduce more efficient machines, which could be managed by the smaller workforce. The naturally conservative bosses of the factory were taking the opportunity to downsize the number of employees to weed out some of the political activists and union chiefs who had previously given them trouble in disputes over working hours and living wages. The vast majority of the newly redundant men being RFP members, it was only a matter of time before action was taken against the tyrannical oppression of the greedy capitalist owners. At midday on the 14th March 2514, a band of more than 400 RFP activists, including Robert Henthorn, met in Millard Square in the centre of the city, armed with nothing but flags and righteous indignation. After twenty minutes of rallying cries and revolutionary songs, the group marched through the industrial district of Ghacrow, gathering factory workers from other industries as they went. meanwhile, a skirmishing team of a few dozen pirates armed with personal firearms raided a local police station, and made away with enough weapons to equip a force of at least 650. When the RFP regrouped outside the Dashkapf factory building, their total force numbered more than 8000 men, who following an impassioned speech from Henthorn (who delivered it through a captured police megaphone, from atop the arch supporting an ornamental clock in the centre of the industrial plaza) stormed the factory building, throwing out the bosses, disabling the machines and capturing the few workers who refused to join the coup. The RFP immediately set about fortifying the factory building, and turning the bicycle assembly line to better use as the source of rudimentary weapons and barricades. By nightfall, the stronghold was perhaps the most secure building in all of Darnussia, and the squads of police marksmen outside were left staring at an impregnable fortress with little hope of opposing it. Over the ensuing three days, the siege remained in place, and the RFP reverted to the natural Communistic principals which they followed, rationing out food supplies, and working on barricades, weapons and patrols in shifts, ensuring that the factory was manned constantly by at least 1000 active men. However, it soon became clear to the RFP leadership that the lack of supplies meant the siege could not be held indefinitely, and on the arrival of the 5th Darnussian Regiment to try and break the siege on the 17th of March finally convinced Henthorn to begin to negotiate with the law enforcement authorities. When demand for food and fresh water were met by the military negotiators, Henthorn finally acquiesced to end the occupation peacefully, and succeeded in persuading the authorities to allow the RFP free passage to leave, ensuring no charges were pressed against any of the leadership or members. Bizarrely, following the Bicycle Siege the owners of the Dashkapf factory chose not to replace the damaged machinery, and the building was left neglected and unused. When Joseph Hague played his part in the consolidation of the NRCP from RFP members, one significant outcome was the acquisition of the factory building itself, which now serves as the national NRCP headquarters. Though it's official name is now the "Revolutionary Commissar Offices", it is better known amongst the party membership as "Fort Bicycle" in affectionate memory of the Bicycle Siege of 2514.